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			<h3>Perennial Pepperweed &#8211; <i>Lepidium latifolium</i></h3>

			<a href="species_images/pepper1.htm" onclick="return Popup.open({url:this.href});"><img src="species_images/pepper1sm.png" width=400 height=273></center>
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			<a href="species_images/pepper2.htm" onclick="return Popup.open({url:this.href});"><img src="species_images/pepper2sm.png" width=131 height=105></a>&nbsp;
			<a href="species_images/pepper3.htm" onclick="return Popup.open({url:this.href});"><img src="species_images/pepper3sm.png" width=131 height=89></a>&nbsp;
			<a href="species_images/pepper4.htm" onclick="return Popup.open({url:this.href});"><img src="species_images/pepper4sm.png" width=131 height=197></a>

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			<h3 class="center">What does it look like?</h3>
			<strong>Plant:</strong>

			Perennial, multi-stemmed herb, 1 to 8 ft in height.

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			<strong>Leaves:</strong>

			Green to dull gray-green, 4 to 12 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide (lower leaves are larger). Both leaf and stem have a waxy coating. Leaves are alternate and have either a smooth or toothed edge.

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			<strong>Flowers:</strong>

			Tiny and white, forming dense clusters near ends of branches. Generally blooms from May to July with each plant producing thousands of seeds.

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			<h3 class="center">Where is it found?</h3>

			Waste places, roadsides and croplands; particularly in wet areas where the soil is salty or alkaline. Can grow in native, relatively undisturbed plant communities. A severe Perennial Pepperweed infestation is present in the Paramount Ranch area.

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			<h3 class="center">Why worry?</h3>

			Perennial Pepperweed is distributed by seeds or fragments of underground stems. A vigorous root system makes it difficult to control. Once established, it competes with native plants for water and nutrients, especially in wetland habitats. Pepperweed also increases erosion.

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